Apple Crisp and Pizza...Sounds Like Perfection to Me!

(This photo isn't mine, but I thought it was beautiful!)

This weekend was packed full of Autumn fun and adventures…from trying new restaurants to carving pumpkins to seeing the beautiful Fall Harvest at the Farmers Market…it was all amazing!

Saturday started with an early morning trip to the Farmers Market, which is my ultimate favorite way to start my Saturdays! Honestly, the fall colors on every table were enough to give me butterflies in my stomach I was so giddy! I got some incredible spaghetti squash and butternut squash. I also got some pie pumpkins and apples that looked like they were Heaven-sent! Obviously, dinner was going to be spaghetti squash, and I just KNEW I had to make an apple-something for dessert!

So, I began perusing The Kind Life forums for a good apple recipe, specifically one that I could make gluten-free, as I’m trying to see if eliminating gluten (or drastically reducing the amount I eat) will help with my thyroid issues, but I digress. I found a really yummy looking recipe posted by Tina Weiss that I had all the ingredients for and just knew I had to try. Needless to say, it was absolutely delicious! So, here is the recipe:

Autumn Harvest Apple Crisp
4 medium apples, peeled, cored, and sliced thin
1/2 cup raisins (optional)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup flour (to make gluten-free, I used rice flour)
3/4 cup oats (I used Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Oats)
1/3 cup Earth Balance
1/2 cup slivered almonds [(optional) I did not use this as I am allergic, but it was in the original recipe]
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg or pumpkin pie spice

Heat oven to 375. Spray 8x8 dish with cooking spray.

Spread apples and raisins (if using) in pan.

In a large bowl, mix all dry ingredients.

Add Earth Balance, and mix with hands, rubbing together until Earth Balance is well incorporated. Sprinkle over apples.

Bake 30 minutes or until apples are tender.

I served this piping hot over Rice Dream Vanilla Ice Cream – Perfecto!


Since Sunday was the beginning of World Go Vegan Week, the man and myself decided to try one of the Madison restaurants participating that we had not yet been to, to scope out the vegan options. We went to Roman Candle Pizzeria, of which they have a couple locations in the Madison area. We went to the one in Middleton, as it’s closest to where we live. I must say, for a pizza place, I was HIGHLY impressed! Our server was fabulous, and when we mentioned the Vegan Week specials ($3 off any size vegan pizza) he recommended the “Animal Lovers” pizza with no cheese. We went for it, and added some green olives (seriously, how can you eat pizza without green olives?!) and continued looking through their menu. Seriously, this place had probably near 20 different vegetables to put on a pizza as options!! Definitely not like any other pizza place I’ve been to!

Anyway, our pizza arrived, and it was beautiful!

The big fresh basil leaves, perfectly sliced thin red peppers, broccoli, and lots of other veggies tossed perfectly on a super flavorful sauce and then lightly drizzled with olive oil. The pizza literally disappeared before our eyes! Our server was also very excited to see us order something vegan, and was asking us a lot of questions. He thought our pizza looked really good, even though it didn’t have any cheese on it (he said he never sees that…of course not in Wisconsin!) and said he may try it for his lunch that day! He was also excited to hear we liked it, so he can tell other people about the vegan specials they have this week…holla veganism!! Hahaha…so yes, if you are in the Madison area, I will highly recommend Roman Candle Pizzeria if you are looking for a vegan pizza fix!

Veganism for Cheap-Asses Like Me!

I’ve had many friends and co-workers who have questioned me about my vegan lifestyle…whether or not I feel left out, hungry, if I crave certain things, how I plan meals, etc. I actually love when people come up and ask me these things, because I know that they are genuinely interested, and I’m not “preaching” if they come to me, right?! Well, the two biggest questions I get are:

“Where do your nutrients come from?” (Discussed in an earlier post)

-and-

“Isn’t being vegan super expensive?”

Now, in all honesty, I have no idea where that second question comes from. I mean, I get the first question. As a society who grew up with the Meat and Dairy industries funding our Government and the Food Commissions, many people believe we cannot survive without red meat and cow milk in our diets, so obviously, that question is understood by me. But the thought of our “diet” as expensive boggles my mind! Now, maybe it’s because I’m probably one of the cheapest people you’ll ever meet…or maybe it’s because I hate seeing things go to waste, but in all honesty, switching to a vegan diet has done wonders for my cashflow!

When Julian and I were eating meat, dairy, and processed food (although very little, but we did have an occasional processed package of food see our pantry), our grocery bill totaled around $200 every two weeks. For two people, we had friends that were very impressed with how little we could spend, but I still felt like this was a lot of money. Our groceries would consist of large bags of chicken breasts, cheeses, milk (for Julian, not me…I was never a milk drinker…I don’t even like drinking soy or rice milk!), ground turkey, eggs, pastas, rice, and various other completely unnecessary things. Now that our home is meat and dairy free (aside from occasional fish that Julian buys since he eats it about once a week), our grocery bill has dropped to less than HALF of what it was before! Just to show you that you most certainly CAN feed two people on $40 a week, I did a little online grocery shopping to show what we buy and how we do it. I don’t know of any grocery stores that deliver here in Wisconsin, so I went to Vons.com, which was a grocery store we shopped at in Los Angeles. Now, their foods were a little pricier, and they incorporated a “delivery fee” in this, so it’s actually still a little more than what we pay now, but only by a couple of dollars. Now, this is what we buy every two weeks or so at the grocery store. Keep in mind, that all the beans and grains typically last longer than 2 weeks, so sometimes we can stretch this to last an entire month, or else we’ll replenish one or two items at a time for less than five bucks.

Our total for these groceries is around $45 for two weeks. Then, each week, we pull out a $20 bill and use this for produce. We only use $20 because it’s only the two of us, and limiting what is in the fridge makes you more aware of everything you have, and more likely to use it up before it goes bad. We can usually find everything we need at the weekly Farmer’s Market, but if not, we’ll take our leftover money to the grocery store produce and get what we need there. So:

$15-45 every two weeks at the grocery store
+
$20 every week for produce
=
$28-42.50 a week for groceries
=
$112 to $170 a month for groceries for TWO PEOPLE!!!

Okay folks, we went from spending around $200 bi-weekly, which is around $400 a month to less than $200 a MONTH!!! And we eat well (if you don’t believe me, just look at our recipes!)!!!

So there you have it. Next time someone tells you that being vegan is way too expensive, have them check this out! The fact that two people can eat tons of food and eat healthy and nutritious for $112-170 a month is something I would have never believed myself, but it’s totally possible! So not only is veganism good for your health, but it’s good for your wallet, too!
 

What I mock-ordered from Vons.com to show what we buy at the grocery store every 2 weeks or so:
2 bags Stacy’s Naked Pita Chips - $3.99 each
2 packs Boca Vegan Burgers - $3.00 each
Whole Wheat Pita Bread - $1.79
16 oz. bag of pearled barley - .81
16 oz bag of pinto beans - $1.74
16 oz. bag of black beans - $2.45
2 – 16 oz. bags of navy beans - $1.25 each
2 – 16 oz. bags of red beans - $1.65 each
10 lb. bag of rice – $14.79
42 oz. box of Quaker Rolled Oats - $5.29

Total - $46.63 for 2 weeks


Filling up on your veggies at the Farmers Market is usually much more cost-effective than the grocery store, and you get to see exactly where your food is coming from!



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Farmer's Market Recipes

My favorite thing about going to the Farmer’s Market each week, is that every week, there is always something new that is in season. This week, the market was flowing with all sorts of potatoes!! The best part, one farmer was so excited about this gorgeous white potato that he grew for the first time this year, he handed me five pounds, wouldn’t take payment, just told me to come back next week and tell him how they were! Well, this cocky farmer knew I’d be in love, because he now has a customer for life!! So, with my large bag full of goodies from the market, I went home and started putting together some delicious goods:



Salad with spray-free mixed greens, tomatoes, squash, and chickpeas – all from the Farmer’s Market. (Ignore the Jack Daniel's...it's the rocker in me, I can't help it!!)


Potatoes, chopped asparagus, 3 tsp. minced garlic, olive oil to coat potatoes, onion powder, popped in the oven at 425, taking out and shaking up a bit every ten minutes for 40 minutes. Potatoes and asparagus from the Farmer’s Market.



Sunshine Burger patty marinated in BBQ sauce, sliced tomatoes and pickles on whole grain pita with spicy hummus. Tomatoes and pickles both from the Farmer’s Market.

Cheap, delicious produce like this is the number one reason I freaking love summertime! And each week, it’s just gonna keep on getting better!

"Beefy" Gorditas!

First off, I want to thank people who took the time to read my last post, as it really is something that is truly important to me. I don’t want people to be offended or think that I’m one of those “crazy vegans” with a political agenda who walks around with a bucket of red paint. No, that isn’t me. I don’t get up and preach on platforms, and I’m not here to change anyone. But, I do like to educate, and I like to constantly BE educated. I think if we all sought out to learn one new thing a day, this would be a completely different world. But, I just want to say thank you for taking the time to read, and I hope maybe you learned something that is relevant.

Secondly, I am back with another delicious recipe that veg-heads and carnivores alike will love! Honestly, my fiancé asked me if I was SURE I didn’t use real meat, that’s how good this meal is at tricking the taste buds! It’s really simple, and all I did was take a look in the fridge, analyzed which foods needed to be used and took it from there! So without further adieu, I give you:

Spicy “Beef” and Tomato Gorditas with Steamed Squash and Quinoa
1 tomato, chopped
1 package Lighlife Smart Grounds (or ground beef replacement of your choosing)
Onion Powder
Vegan Hamburger seasoning (check the label to make sure there are no animal products. I use one by McCormick)
Buffalo Wing Sauce
Whole Grain Flatbreads
Squash of your choosing, sliced into rounds
1 cup quinoa
Thoroughly rinse your quinoa. Follow cooking directions according to the package, or use a rice cooker, like I did. Add 2 cups of water to the quinoa, and let the rice cooker do the rest!
(a small strainer is perfect for giving your quinoa a quick rinse)

While quinoa is cooking, put your “beef” in a large skillet with onion powder, hamburger seasoning and wing sauce (no specific amounts, just to your liking. I use a lot more hot sauce than the average person, so add according to taste). Cook until “beef” becomes slightly brown, and add in the tomatoes. Turn heat to low, and let the flavors simmer together.


Throw your squash into the steamer, and let steam for about ten minutes. Don’t do this until there is only about ten minutes of cooking time left for the quinoa, so it is fresh when it’s time to eat. (I highly recommend a rice cooker/vegetable steamer combo…they are truly awesome for the lazy cook…haha!)
(this rice cooker/vegetable steamer was $13.00 at Target, and is a new cook's best friend in the kitchen!)

Warm your flatbreads on a skillet over low heat, flipping until both sides are soft and golden. When my “beef” had about two minutes left to simmer with the tomatoes, I added this amazing chili vinaigrette that I got at the farmer’s market to it to give it even more spice, but you can add any type of additional hot sauce.
Scoop your “beef” and tomato mixture into your flatbread. Garnish with vegan cheese our sour cream if you’d like, but I prefer it without. Fold over like a gordita. Enjoy with your quinoa and squash!

This meal is super light for summer, yet packs a punch for anyone who is still having problems “converting” to non-meat dishes. It's also a super simple meal for those of you who say you are new to this and don't think you can cook! Trust me, if I can do it, anyone can! I hope you enjoy it!

Dane County Farmer's Market

Photos:


What a weekend! It started off with Tornado Watches (something that we definitely didn’t have in Los Angeles!) and ended with beautiful sunshine! Not to mention, I got to head down to the Dane County Farmer’s Market, which is one of the largest ones in the country, apparently! This market was absolutely incredible!! What excites me is the fact that I know each week that we go, there will be so many different things to choose from, as more and more plants become in season!

My first stop was at a little stand that caught my eye with its “Vegan Pastries” sign. It was a small local bakery and so many things looked so delicious. I left with a Strawberry/Rhubarb safflower and sunflower seed pastry for a dollar, which was almost sinful! I didn’t get too much this time, as I had just gone on a trip to the grocery store and had some produce (plus there really isn’t too much produce this time of year…lots of plants and herbs and such, but not a lot of fruits and veggies ready to be sold), but did leave with some awesome pickled vegetables, some hot pepper vinaigrette fresh from the farm, and more tomatoes than I know what to do with!


I couldn’t help myself; they were the size of grapefruits and smelled so good! We got four pounds of these delicious tomatoes, and with my pastry and my man’s scone and all our other purchases, we didn’t even spend $10! And people say that eating healthy is expensive?!?! I beg to differ!
Beautiful Capital Building the Market Surrounds
Afterwards, we ventured over to the restaurant that is reviewed in my previous post, The Green Owl Café, and had an amazing lunch. I got the BBQ Jackfruit Sandwich (which honestly tasted just like pulled pork!) with the Kale Chips, and Julian got the “Crab Cake” Po’boy Sandwich with Kale Chips, which is his favorite meal on the menu. We ended up halving our sandwiches so we could each have half of the others, and both were so delicious. The meal was topped off with vegan, gluten-free Coconut Cream Pie for Julian and vegan Marshmallow Mud Pie for me. What a perfect meal!


I made some super yummy meals with our Farmer’s Market picks, so stay tuned throughout the week for the recipes!